Revolving seat base for passenger cars



24, 1937. w. R. ELSEY 2,091,226

REVOLVING SEAT BASE FOR PASSENGER CARS Filed July 29, 1936 s Sheets-Sheet 1 0 Wdrmn K12151551 TORNEYS.

W. R. ELSEY REVOLVING SEAT BASE FOR PASSENGER CARS Aug. 24, 1937.

FiledJuly 29, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2;

\b a? A a m E I i I III 1 I I F? i i i i i i g I i i i I i i INVENTOR: Warren iiilssy,

WITNESSES:

ORNEYS.

Aug. 24, 1937. w, R ELsEY 2,091,226

REVOLVING SEAT BASE FOR PASSENGER CARS Filed July 29 1936 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 E62 llZ:

W1 TNESSES; INVENTOR:

WWW BY Warren EJ 55555 Jnm fiw UNITED'STATES PATENT ()FFICE REVOLVING SEAT BASE FOR PASSENGER CARS Warren E. Elsey, Elizabeth, N. J., assignor to The Iennsylvania Railroad Company, Philadelphla, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 29, 1936, Serial No. 93,186

12 Claims. (Cl. 155-95) This invention in its broader aspects has referproper embodies a concavo-convex section 2, ence to revolving seats including means whereby with a surrounding flange 3, whereby said base the seat may be moved laterally or eccentrically can be suitably secured to a car floor or other supdisplaced for convenience in use or out of use port, not shown, by appropriate means passed position. through holes 4 in the flange 3, in an obvious 5 More particularly the present improvements 'manner. Integral with the concavo-convex sechave reference preferably to revolving seats for tion 2 is an upper cylindrical part 5 embodying a railroad passenger cars, busses, and similar means supporting flange 6, which, it will be observed exof transportation. tends further to one side of the axis of the ped- An important object of this invention is to proestal I than to the other, for a purpose herein- 10 vide a novel base or pedestal and revolving means after explained, the longer portion is cut out at I for support of a car seat which accommodates and the shorter portion rounded at 8 to reduce lateral shifting to either hand, while permitting the weight, while both portions are reinforced by said seat, when in normal position, to be held bracket flanges 9, [0, respectively, and the forfirmly against a car wall or the like, as well as Incl has an additional cross flange II, for being movable laterally to provide sufficient clearstrengthening purposes, all as readily understood ance for the seat to be turned without interferby those acquainted with the art. ence by said car wall. Pivotally seating in the pedestal cylindrical part Another object is the provision of a novel form 5 is the revolving mechanism which comprises a of base or pedestal for housing the revolving hollow tubular section l2 having its upper end 20 mechanism as well as a pedal actuable locking closed-in by a guide member l3, with its longimeans. tudinal sides upwardly and inwardly flanged at Further objects of this invention are to provide M to constitute runners I5 for the conformatively a revolving seat baseor pedestal for the purpose shaped side edges it of a crosshead seat support indicated, which is easy to operate with a minil7. At this juncture t s to be ed e guide 25 mum of effort; one in which friction and wear are member tubular section i2 is substantially closedavoided, and in which there is nothing to normally n by a in e annular flange providing an get out of order; one that is easily adapted to ial aperture i9, and having screw-threaded cirdiiferent uses; and one which is simple and comcumferentially-spaced holes 20, Figs. II and IV,

paratively inexpensive to construct. for a pu p later On explained- 30 With the foregoing objects in view, this inven- The crosshead seat supp W is provided With tion may be generally stated as comprising the diagonally-disposed lateral seat sustaining arms novel devices, combinations of means and ar- 2! having trough-like ends 22 for reception and rangements of parts hereinafter described, i1lusattachment thereto of conventional seat body trated by the accompanying drawings, and more members 23; and it is to be remarked said arms 35 particularly defined in the claims. are somewhat upwardly directed; while the sup- In the drawings: port it is formed with three, for example, up- Fig. I is a top plan view of the revolving seat Wardly directed aligned conical projections 24 base. having tapering bores 25, for a purpose later on Fig. II is a vertical section, taken as indicated set forth, and the arms 2| are reinforced by webs 40 by the arrows IIII in Fig. I. 26 merging into the central projection 24; where- Fig. III is a similar section, taken on the planes as said projections are connected by a rib 2'! for designated IIIIII in Figs. I and II. strengthening the crosshead I! longitudinally.

Fig. IV is a horizontal section, taken as indi- The guide member [3 is provided with a longicated by the arrows IV-IV in Fig. II. tudinal offset 28 on its upper face coplanar with 45 Fig. Vis an inverted perspective view of a detail, side projections 39 that j y a d a Slide hereinafter explained; and, bearing for the crosshead H. In addition the Fig. VI is a detail sectional view, on a larger longitudinal offset 28 is laterally expanded at 38 scale, and taken approximately as indicated by and formed with a movement limiting groove 3|, the arrows VIVI in Fig. I. into which the reduced end 32 of a screw stop 50 In all the views, like references are applied to 33 projects. This screw stop 33 is threadedly corresponding parts, while the embodiment of the engaged through a complementally threaded eminvention shown is illustrative only of a preferred bossment 35 on the crosshead I"! and has a lock structure of said invention. washer 35 intermediate its head 36 and the con- 5 Acco d t the S t e base or pedestal fronting face of said embossment in order to prevent movement of the screw stop 3 incident to vibration of the revolvable seat base i when installed.

For arresting and securing the seat supporting crosshead ll relative to the guide member as well as looking said parts in the desired position, use is made of a bolt-lil ze member 3? having its upper end 38 adapted for passage through an axial orifice 39 in the guide member i3 and engagement in the respective projection bores as later on amplified. The bolt member Si is als formed with an abutment shoulder and a bi furcate angled end ll for operative connection by a pin 42 to the foot lever 23 fulcrumed at one end by means 44 to a suitable fork or spaced projections 45 provided for the purpose within the base concavo-convex section 2; while said lever extends through a vertical slot opposed to the projections 4-5 and terminates in a pedal portion 47.

Attached to the lower end of the guide tubular section i2 by means of screws 8 engaging in the annular flange holes 29, and with provision for passage therethrough at 49 of the bolt member 31, is a cam plate or disc 50, having diametrically opposed projections or rises with radial notches 52 for coaction with the foot lever 13 aforesaid. As best appreciated from Figs. 11 and V, the cam plate or disc 5 3 is cupped at 53 to aiford seating for the lower end of spring the upper end whereof abuts the bolt member shoulder ib hereinbefore referred to. It is also to be noted the guide member has cut out or forked ends 55 for reduction of the weight without impairing the rigidity while the crosshead i? has somewhat similar ends for similar structural lightening.

Having outlined the structural aspects of the revolving seat base, the operation of same may be briefly explained as follows. Assuming the parts occupy the positions shown by Figs. I and II more particularly, it is to be observed that the car seat body members 23 with the seat, not shown, as well as the crosshead support ll are disposed eccentrically to the lefthand of the axis of the base I; or, in other words, the seat is projected laterally against the car side wall for retention in rigid position. When it is desired to move the seat laterally, either to the extreme right hand, or for pivotal movement, so that the user faces in the desired direction, the pedal all is depressed in opposition to the spring 54%, with consequent lowering of the bolt member tapered end 38 from engagement in the hollow conical projection 24. Simultaneously the foot lever 43 will be released from the superjacent cam notch 52, whereupon the crosshead I? can be slid along the guide 93 until the intermediate projection 24 registers over the pivot member end and the seat swung around concentrically of the pedestal l as desired, until the pedal 5'11 is released when the foot lever 63 automatically snaps upwardly into the nearest registering cam notch while the bolt member 3? is similarly engaged. Or, the seat crosshead may be moved to the extreme right hand as limited by the stop reduced end and groove 3!, whereupon the bolt member end 38 will snap into the left-hand conical projection bore 25 and the seat be similarly locked by the foot lever 43 and cam notching 52, in an obvious manner.

From the foregoing it will be readily seen that by this invention there is provided a base assembly or pedestal for passenger car seats which is adapted to firmly support and prevent tilting of the seat when normally off-center relative to the rotating mechanism by coaction of the side flanges M of the guide l3 with the side edges E5 of the crosshead ll; while such seat can be roadily released and moved laterally away from the car side wall into concentric relation with the pedestal for rotation. Furthermore, the loclcing means 37 described permit the car seat to be either concentric or eccentric to the pedestal and thereby permits said seat being faced in either direction while also providing for its retention in locked position when facing the windows of a car; and finally the seat can be readily rotated without interference from, or contact with, the car wall.

It will thus be seen there is provided by this invention a very simple, compact and offlcient arrangement and construction for fulfilling the objects hereinbefore recited; and while there has been illustrated what now seems to constitute the preferred form of the invention, it is to be borne in mind the same is exemplary only, and it is desired to secure and reserve the right to make such changes or modifications as may fairly lie within reasonable interpretation of the following claims and the prior art prescribes.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a revolving seat, a hollow pedestal having an upper supporting surface, a guide member embodying a tubular section pivotally mounted in the pedestal, a seat bearing crosshead sustained by the guide member and adapted for longitudinal movement relative thereto, locking means housed in the tubular section and pedestal whereby the crosshead may be arrested eccentric to or concentric with the axis of said pedestal, and means coactive with the locking means for securing the guide member tubular section against rotation concurrently with arrestation of the crosshead in the desired position.

2. In a revolving seat, a hollow pedestal havin an upper lateral flange, a guide member seating on said flange and having a tubular section pivotally engaged in the pedestal upper part, a seat supporting crosshead slidably mounted on the guide member with means limiting its movement, pedal actuable locking means substantially housed in the tubular section and pedestal whereby the crosshead may be arrested eccentric to or concentric with the axis of the pedestal, and radially notched cam-like means coactive with the locking means for securing the guide member against rotation concurrent with arrestation of the crosshead in the desired position.

3. In a revolving seat, a hollow pedestal having upper lateral flange, a guide member seating on said flange and having a tubular section pivotally engaged in the pedestal upper part, a seat supporting crosshead slidably mounted on the guide member with means limiting its movement, pedal actuable locking means substantially housed in the tubular section and pedestal whereby the crosshead may be arrested eccentric to or concentric with the axis of the pedestal, a disc member closing in the lower end of the guide member tubular section and embodying opposed camming risers having radial notches for coaction with the locking means actuator pedal for securing the guide member against rotation concurrent with arrestation of the crosshead in ti desired position.

4. In a revolving seat, a hollow pedestal having a base attaching flange and a top supportingflange, an elongate member seating on said top flange having parallel edge guides with a tubular section pivotally engaged in the pedestal upper part, a seat supporting crosshead mounted on and slidable between the elongate member edge guides, means limiting relative longitudinal 5 movement of the elongate member and the crosshead, a pressure influenced pedal actuated looking element substantially housed in the elongate member tubular section and the pedestal for arresting the crosshead eccentric to or concentric with the pedestal axis, and a disc substantially closing-in the tubular section lower end with radially grooved offsets respectively adapted for engagement by the locking element pedal lever for securing the elongate member against rotation concurrent with arrestation of the crosshead in the desired position, for the purposes specified.

5. A revolving seat structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein the pedestal is in part concavoconvex and in part tubular, said concavo-convex portion having a peripheral attaching flange, and the tubular part embodying an elongate flange offset to one side of its axis to a greater extent than to the other side, the longer projecting portion of said flange being reinforced by longitudinal and cross webs at its underside, and the shorter projecting portion having a longitudinal web only, and said longer projection has its free end forked to reduce its weight with the shorter projection of curved contour.

6. A revolving seat structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein the elongate member has parallel side flanges projecting upwardly and angled inwards to provide guide runners, and its pivotal portion is tubular with an inner annular flange adjacent its lower end.

7. A revolving seat structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein the elongate member tubular section has an inner annular flange providing an axial aperture for passage of the peda1-actu ated locking means, and the ends of said memher are forked or inwardly cut out for structural lightening thereof.

8. A revolving seat structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein the crosshead embodies diagonally-directed seat-supporting arms and parallel side edges for slidable engagement with the elongate member runners, and a series of hollow projections for c'oaction with the locking means H) for the purposes specified.

" 9. A revolving seat structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein the crosshead embodies diagonally-directed seat supporting arms having troughed free ends, has parallel side edges adapted for sliding engagement between the elongate member guide runners, and a series of aligned hollow coned upward projections for coaction with the locking element upper end to arrest the crosshead eccentric to or concentric with the pedestal axis.

10. A revolving seat structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein the crosshead embodies diagonally-directed seat supporting arms having troughed free ends, has parallel side edges upwardly and inwardly flanged for sliding engagement between the elongate member guide runners, a series of aligned hollow coned upward projections, and the supporting arms are reinforced by longitudinal webs while the conical projections are connected by a strengthening rib.

11. A revolving seat structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein the closing in disc for the pedestal embodies a central recession in its upper face, diametrically opposed camming rises project below the lower surface thereof with intervening radial notches, and said disc is rigidly attached to the elongate member tubular section inner annular flange with its outer peripheral portion underlapping the pedestal cylindrical part lower edge.

12. A revolving seat base for passenger cars comprising a hollow pedestal having a base attaching flange and a top supporting-flange offset with respect to the pedestal axis, an elongate member seating on said top flange having parallel edge guides with a tubular section pivotally engaged in the pedestal upper part, a seat supporting crosshead mounted on and slidable between the elongate member edge guides, means limiting relative longitudinal movement of the elongate member and the crosshead, a pressure influenced pedal actuated locking element substantially housed in the elongate member tubular section and the pedestal for arresting the crosshead eccentric to or concentric with the pedestal axis, and a disc substantially closing-in the tubular section lower end with radially grooved ofi'sets respectively adapted for engagement by the locking element pedal lever for securing the elongate member against rotation concurrent with arrestation of the crosshead in the desired position, for the purposes specified.

WARREN R. ELSEY. 

